Apple?
by wild-springflower
Summary: Young Arthur Pendragon hates visits from the elderly physician, Gaius. So he comes up with a plan that he thinks is full-proof. But, it doesn't quite go the way he'd planned.  ok, so the summary isn't the greatest, sorry about that!


**A/N- Hey everybody! OK, so this is my VERY first Merlin fic! For the record I have only seen season one and like, three episodes of season two, so, any criticism, please be gentle. I like all types of feedback, but I don't like it when people are just nasty, there's not reason for that and if you've never gotten any mean feedback before, it doesn't feel very good! Thanks a lot and I hope you enjoy! As always, sorry for any spelling/grammar errors, and I don't own Merlin. **

The morning of December the third found Gaius hurrying through the castle halls. It was getting quite cold out and it seems the young prince had developed a cough. The king had done all but ask nicely to ensure the elderly man saw Arthur everyday until he got better.

Gaius had been running late and in his haste to leave he had forgotten the medicine he'd prepared for Arthur the night before to help with the cough. He then had to go _back_ to his room to retrieve it.

When he finally reached the prince's chambers Gaius was thoroughly exhausted. He gave a small knock then waited.

"Enter." Came the reply.

Gaius opened the door and stepped in, a smile on his face. "Good morning Sire."

Arthur was currently lounging on his bed, a disappointed look on his face, "You're late."

"My sincere apologies Sire, I was running a little behind this morning." Gaius explained.

To his surprise Arthur answered, "That's quite alright."

"Then what is it that is troubling you?" Gaius probed.

Arthur sighed, "I thought you weren't coming at all."

Gaius barked a laugh, setting his things on a vacant spot on the table. "Do you not enjoy my visits?"

"Gaius," Arthur began, sounding very formal. "You are a great man, and whilst I have no quarrel with you, I do not enjoy your visits. It is not your presence, but all the poking and prodding that makes this visit quite unpleasant."

Gaius laughed again, "Why so formal Sire?" He questioned, pulling out the tools he would need for the check-up.

"My father requests that I practice, I need to sound formal, smart, and disciplined in front of my future kingdom."

"But you are only a child, should you not be having fun like the other children?"

"Not according to my father. Anyways, I'm not a _normal_ child, I'm the prince." Arthur paused then, as he began to cough violently.

"Here Sire, drink this. It'll help your throat." Arthur nodded, holding up his first finger, indicating to Gaius that it would be a moment before he would able to drink the liquid.

Finally Arthur stopped coughing, grabbing for the bottle in Gaius's outstretched hand. He downed the liquid in one swig, his face wrinkling up in disgust. "What _is_ that stuff?" Arthur help the empty vile out at arms length, as if it were a snake about to strike.

Gaius retrieved the glass bottle and put it in his bad, "It is a simple tonic Sire. It'll help stop your cough."

"Well it tastes revolting!"

Gaius chuckled, "Most medicines are not made to taste good Sire, they are made to make you feel better."

Arthur sighed, going to sit back on his bed, "I wish it would taste better _and_ make me feel better."

"That would be nice. Well Sire, do you still find my visit unpleasant?"

"Most definitely!" Arthur replied.

"Then I'll be off. I will be back to check on you tomorrow morning." Gaius walked to the door and was about to leave when he turned back around, "Oh, and Arthur, if you need anything, just send a servant for me"

"Sure thing, thank you Gaius."

Gaius smiled to himself as he left the warm room, Arthur's check-ups always put him in a good mood. The same could not be said for Arthur though.

A visit from the elderly physician made Arthur quite irritable. He disliked people examining his body, it made him feel like some sort of animal, or experiment.

As Arthur sat on his bed he contemplated ways to stop the check-ups from happening. Going to his father wouldn't help, he'd probably just laugh and tell Arthur to grow up. Besides, it was his father who had ordered the check-ups in the first place.

Just telling Gaius wouldn't help either, he'd already expressed his feelings to the doctor today.

Then it hit him, a perfect plan to keep the physician away.

The next day when Gaius showed up at the prince's, right on time, he'd barley knocked twice when the door opened and a smiling Arthur stood before him. His hand shot outwards and in it, a round, green apple.

Confusion crossed Gaius's face but he quickly recovered and smiled, "Is this for me?"

Arthur nodded, watch the physician's every move.

"Well thank you Sire, that is very kind." Gaius took the apple with a smile then set about to do his job.

Arthur was a lot better that day, he didn't have a runny nose at all and his cough had gotten considerably better. Gaius took note of this so he would know what tonic to use in the future.

All through Gaius's examination Arthur sat quietly, not one complaint. What had changed since yesterday?

"You seem rather cheerful today Arthur, has something happened?" Gaius tried to seem nonchalant as he pried to a reason as to why the young Pendragon was so happy.

"No." Arthur replied shortly.

When it appeared Arthur was going to offer no further explanation, Gaius dropped the matter entirely and went on with his work.

_***magic*** _

Gaius had decided that the strange actions shown by the price were just that, strange. He felt no need to ponder the reason why Arthur had been so nice to him on that morning. But the next day the exact same thing happened. Gaius arrived at Arthur's chambers a bit early and just as the day before Arthur was there to greet him, apple in hand.

And just as before Gaius asked what had put the prince in such a good mood and just as before Arthur didn't give an explination.

Two days in a row was strange enough, but this went on for more than a week.

So on the morning of December eleventh when Gaius went to the young Pendragon's chambers and was met with a smiling face and a gleaming apple he just needed to know.

"Sire," He started as he began the prince's check-up for that day.

"Yes?" Arthur didn't' seem to be aggravated in the least by Gaius's poking and prodding and tools.

"Might I inquire as to why you have given me an apple each day for the past week?"

"Well," Arthur replied slowly, "I thought I had a perfect plan, but it doesn't seem to have worked."

"Oh, and what plan was this?"

"Well, you know the saying, an apple a day keeps the physician away. But you have kept coming back so I do not believe that saying is correct."

There was a moment of silence before Gaius burst out laughing, he had to put down his tools he was laughing so hard.

"What!" Arthur demanded.

"My dear boy," Gaius said between gasps, "The saying means that _you_ eat the apples to stay healthy! You don't give them to the physician!"

Gaius finished his check-up and left Arthur flushed and embarrassed. Of _course_ he was the one supposed to eat those blasted apples!


End file.
